DETROIT - Former Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., Thursday provided details of a proposed healthcare plan he said would save an average U.S. family $2,000 to $2,500 a year.

At a presidential campaign stop in Detroit, Edwards said the plan would eliminate at least $130 billion a year in wasteful health care spending, his campaign said in a release.

"Americans today aren't getting the quality of healthcare they pay for and can't afford the cost of the care they do receive," said Edwards.

Edwards said his plan will ensure that families with insurance will pay less and families without insurance will get coverage at an affordable cost. He said his plan would make it cheaper and easier for businesses and employers to insure their workers.

The plan would set national accounting standards requiring insurers to spend at least 85 percent of their premiums on patient care; cut the cost of and improve treatment for chronic conditions; create a central organization to disseminate best practices nationally; make prescription drugs more affordable; and improve work conditions for healthcare workers.